As you get older it’s impossible to not stress about relationships, finances, and life in general. Stress it seems, is part of life and you can either learn to manage it or curl up in a ball and let life pass you by. Even though sometimes I want to do the latter, I put on my big girl pants and try to not stress. As stress can come from anything and everything, managing stress also comes in various forms. What causes stress for one person won’t be the same for everyone. I can say that as I’ve gotten older, I know my stress triggers and have found a few methods that don’t involve curling up in a ball.
Music
Blasting obscenities or smooth relaxing beats, its your prerogative. I haven’t met a person who doesn’t love music, so put on your headphones and let the music wash away the stress.
Take A Nap
Fifteen minutes or thirty minutes, it’s all good.
Let me tell you a secret, sleep can work wonders. Grab your pillow, grab your blanket because you’re going nap away that stress.
Video Games
Ok, I admit that I find killing aliens with plasma guns very cathartic. If you’re like me and find letting some aggression out helps with stress, get the Xbox and pop in some Halo for an hour of alien butt-kicking.
A Good Book
When I’m feeling the all too familiar tingle of stress, I immediately reach for one of the thousands of books littered around my house. I’m kidding, I don’t have thousands of books, more like hundreds. While I may or may not be kidding, reading is a great stress reliever as your mind is focused on reading every word and sooner than you know it you’re transported into the story.
Baking
Or cooking, your choice.
Not everyone is great in the kitchen and baking may not be your forte, but give it a try. If you’re a kitchen newbie, follow a basic box recipe like chocolate chip cookies, it’s hard to mess up. Just like the saying, “it’s not about the destination but the journey,” so is baking. Keeping your hands and mind busy on the task at hand has a great calming effect. Plus, you get to eat what you made, so it’s a win-win situation.